| Although a salesperson's professional development is | | | | or refining the sales person's selling skills. The 6 step |
| limited when it centres only on classroom learning | | | | sales coaching process is used to achieve this |
| many organisations still persist with it. At the risk of | | | | outcome: |
| upsetting those in the learning and development field | | | | 1) Briefly recap the sales objectives. |
| it has to be said that classroom learning has minimal | | | | The objective/s for the sales call should have been |
| impact in the medium to long term and by every | | | | set before the call. Recapping at the beginning of the |
| measure the return on investment for the company | | | | curb side conference helps the salesperson to focus |
| is poor. At best the retention for the salesperson is | | | | on the discussion at hand. |
| 30% if active learning such as role play is part of the | | | | 2) Provide a critique of the selling skills that were |
| skills development and considerably lower at 5% if it | | | | competently applied. |
| is passive when the facilitator talks most of the time. | | | | Use your sales process as the guiding template and |
| When infield sales coaching becomes integral to the | | | | leave out those selling skills that were incompetently |
| sales person's development this figure can escalate | | | | or not applied. This is because you want to |
| to a staggering 90%. With up to 70% of top sales | | | | acknowledge and compliment the skills that |
| performers leaving because of dissatisfaction with | | | | demonstrated sales competence. For example "Mary |
| their manager relationship sales coaching provides an | | | | let's go over the last sales call and if it's okay with |
| opportunity to forge close working ties. | | | | you I'd like to give you feedback on the skills you |
| So why doesn't every sales manager incorporate | | | | applied competently." The salesperson may want to |
| sales coaching for their salespeople? | | | | interrupt and highlight the skills they didn't apply or |
| Based on our research the reasons are: | | | | applied inadequately. When this happens you need to |
| 1) They don't know how | | | | stop them and let them know they will have their |
| Many of you reading this may relate to this category. | | | | turn soon. For example "I appreciate your concerns |
| You were a very successful salesperson and so | | | | and we will deal with them shortly." Emotionally you |
| promoted to sales management with inadequate or | | | | need to come from a place of caring and support |
| no training for the role. You were not aware of infield | | | | which will then be reflected in your vocal tone. |
| sales coaching because it wasn't part of the | | | | Sounding judgmental or frustrated could destroy your |
| company's culture | | | | relationship with your salesperson. |
| 2) They don't have a sales background | | | | 3) Ask the salesperson to self critique their sales call. |
| The sales manager came from another department | | | | Suggest to your salesperson to also use the sales |
| within the company such as administration or | | | | process which will assist them to critique their own |
| operations. This is seen as a good career move and | | | | sales performance in a logical manner and then it's |
| endorsed by senior management and is for a limited | | | | your role to actively listen. They may focus too |
| time of 2-3 years before the person moves onto | | | | much on what they didn't do or did incompetently so |
| another role. Because such an individual lacks sales | | | | watch for this tendency. You may need to ask them |
| experience they feel uncomfortable and incompetent | | | | to give you a balanced view. Actively listen for any |
| in front of clients and prospects so avoid being in | | | | skills they omitted or believe they applied well when |
| that position. A credibility issue with their sales team | | | | in reality they didn't do so. On conclusion of their self |
| also becomes a problem | | | | critique compliment them and move to the next step. |
| 3) They don't have the time | | | | For example "Mary you obviously have a great |
| The sales manager becomes tied up with | | | | understanding of the sales process and I agree with |
| administration and other internal matters. They try to | | | | your self assessment. Let me ask you, if you had |
| manage their sales team from their desk. To illustrate | | | | the opportunity to..." |
| how serious a problem this is: one large national | | | | 4) Ask the salesperson if they had the opportunity |
| company with a network of business throughout | | | | to do the sales call again what they would do |
| Australia had each business unit manager also in a | | | | differently? |
| sales management role. Not 1 hour was invested in | | | | This gives the salesperson the opportunity to |
| the field with one sales person over the previous12 | | | | uncover anything additional they may have previously |
| month period. | | | | missed and drawing on what they had learnt in step |
| Sales coaching needs to become part of a company's | | | | 2 will reaffirm those competencies. |
| sales culture just like coaching in sport is a part of | | | | 5) Use the sales process and provide a summary |
| the sporting culture. In fact to be effective sales | | | | critique of the salesperson's selling skills. |
| managers need to spend at least 25% of their time | | | | When you go through the summary ensure it is |
| with their salespeople in the field coaching. | | | | weighted 3:1 in favour of the positive behaviours and |
| Sales coaching is the key to achieving lasting sales | | | | skills that were competently applied. This will also build |
| improvement and is suitable for new people to sales | | | | their sense of self worth as well as the learning |
| through to sales veterans to reinforce knowledge | | | | experience. |
| and skills already known but not used effectively. | | | | 6) Finish on a positive note and set the next sales call |
| Sales coaching consist of 3 components: | | | | objective. |
| 1. Knowledge and skills | | | | This has to be done from the heart and for example |
| A common sales criticism of classroom learning is that | | | | could be expressing how impressed you were with |
| it's theoretical and won't work in the 'real world.' | | | | how the salesperson qualified the prospect. When |
| However, when sales coaching becomes part of their | | | | planning the next sales call objectives one needs to |
| development program the classroom theory is | | | | be a skill development objective from step 3 or 4. |
| converted into practical know how. In fact when a | | | | Caution: whilst there may be many skills needing |
| specific skill is applied by the sales manager and then | | | | attention focus on one which you consider to be the |
| later duplicated by the salesperson, behaviour change | | | | most important. Overloading the salesperson with too |
| and motivation are immediate | | | | much is counterproductive and isn't the way we learn. |
| 2. Objective sales competency levels. | | | | A last word or two... |
| When salespeople are measured against the 6 | | | | Curb side conference those sales calls where the |
| competency levels their true competency level can | | | | learning will be the greatest |
| be identified. For the sales person to progress to a | | | | Schedule regular monthly sales coaching even if it |
| higher level the sales manager needs to use every | | | | is as little as half a day and avoid cancelling. It will pay |
| teaching method available from seeing, hearing and | | | | dividends. Staying in the office doesn't create |
| demonstration to clarifying what to do and why. | | | | revenue but developing a salesperson's selling ability |
| 3. An evaluation methodology to measure the | | | | does |
| outcomes. | | | | Ask your salespeople for feedback on your |
| A competency based training and development | | | | coaching. What could you do better? |
| format is one of the best ways to measure skills | | | | Sales coaching provides you with the opportunity |
| performance. | | | | to show sales leadership |
| The Curb Side Conference | | | | If sales coaching is new to you or you are |
| This is the term used to describe how the previous | | | | dissatisfied with current sales coaching practices |
| sales call is reviewed for the purpose of developing | | | | contact Sales Consultants. |